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| rank [ rangk ] |
noun (plural ranks) |
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| Definition: |
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1. official status within organization: an official title or category that shows the holder's relative importance or seniority within an organization, especially a military force
  attained the rank of colonel
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2. status in relation to others: the degree of importance or excellence of somebody or something in relation to other members of a group
a political journalist of the first rank
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3. high status: high status or importance, especially in the military
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4. line of people or things: a line of people, especially soldiers, or things standing or placed side by side
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5. chess horizontal line of squares on chessboard: a horizontal line of squares on a chessboard
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6. mathematics linearly independent rows: in mathematics, the largest number of linearly independent rows in a matrix
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7. music set of organ pipes: a set of organ pipes linked to a particular stop
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plural noun ranks |
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| Definition: |
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1. ordinary soldiers: members of the armed forces who are not officers, or the ordinary members of any organization who do not hold high office
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2. people in group or category: people belonging to a particular group or category, considered collectively and usually with the understanding that there are large numbers of them
among the ranks of her supporters
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verb (past and past participle ranked, present participle rank·ing, 3rd person present singular ranks) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb have or give something rating: to have a particular rating, position, or importance in relation to other people or things in a group, or give somebody or something such a rating
This ranks fairly high on my list of desirable improvements.
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2. transitive verb outrank somebody or something: to have a higher rank than and take precedence over somebody or something else in a group, especially in a hierarchy
A colonel ranks a major.
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3. intransitive verb U.S. seem most important: to have the greatest importance or receive the best treatment among the members of a group
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4. transitive and intransitive verb position things or stand in rows: to place people or things in a row or rows, or stand or be placed in rows
(
usually passive
)
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5. intransitive verb insult somebody: to insult somebody in a childish way
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slang
)
Quit ranking on me!
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| [14th century. < Old French ranc "row" < Germanic] |
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break ranks
1. to leave an ordered line of soldiers, especially when being attacked
2. to stop supporting the policy of a group of which you are a member
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close ranks
1. to unite closely, especially when taking defensive action
2. to form into tight disciplined lines in preparation for an expected attackrefers to soldiers
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pull rank (on somebody) to assert authority over somebody in a hierarchy, especially in order to obtain personal advantage
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rise (up) through the ranks to reach a senior position in an organization by gradual promotions from an originally low position
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